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M-240 "Seeking Light"


kcnarf

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If you've ever been 'interviewed' for LFI, your words will be translated into German . . . and then back into English again for the English edition. A disturbing experience!

I will do my best to make sure that won’t happen again.

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On the screen of the laptop computer of a Leica representative at a 2-day workshop in Solms. He was very proud that their new camera (with premature firmware!) beats the current high-end Canon EOS model with regard to high-ISO noise.

 

But then, the EOS 1DX can go far beyond ISO 6400/39° while the Leica M cannot. And those sample shots were taken in fairly good light—i. e. moderate contrast and no seriously underexposed shadows. So the fact that the M looked better than the 1DX in these particular high-ISO shots does not necessarily mean it will look better under all possible circumstances. More testing required. But what we saw definitely is a good start ... :)

 

This sounds indeed very promising. For me 6400 ASA is already very attractive. Actually, it is not clear to me what this very high ISO numbers of Canon 1DX up to 100.000 ASA or Nikon D4 even 200.000 ASA mean. The sensor has a native sensitivity, usually around 200 ASA for common full frame sensors. Higher ISO means underexposure and a compensation by the camera software. So if 6400 ASA of the Leica M is not sufficient, it should be possible to underexpose and try to correct in Photoshop. In principle I would not expect that such results should differ a lot from shots taken with extremely hight ISO numbers, but it is much more post processing needed. Or do I make a mistake?

 

Thomas

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Higher ISO means underexposure and a compensation by the camera software. So if 6400 ASA of the Leica M is not sufficient, it should be possible to underexpose and try to correct in Photoshop.

 

That is an interesting problem. I am not sure one can make up for such underexposure in Photoshop. Does not the camera amplify the signals to achieve higher ISO? Isn't that different?

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If you've ever been 'interviewed' for LFI, your words will be translated into German . . . and then back into English again for the English edition. A disturbing experience!

 

I will do my best to make sure that won’t happen again.

 

Hi Michael

personally - no worries - and I was certainly not 'mis-quoted'. But it did all sound a lot more considered and serious than I felt!

 

But I agree, it's a good principle!

 

all the best

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That is an interesting problem. I am not sure one can make up for such underexposure in Photoshop. Does not the camera amplify the signals to achieve higher ISO? Isn't that different?

 

I seem to have read somewhere that the ultra high ISO of some dslrs are achieved not only by signal amplification, but also by "coupling" squares of pixels (2x2, 3x3, 4x4 ?), lowering the effective resolution and,of course, applying different in camera processing to the bitmap

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That is an interesting problem. I am not sure one can make up for such underexposure in Photoshop. Does not the camera amplify the signals to achieve higher ISO? Isn't that different?

Yes and no. The camera does amplify the sensor signals to compensate for the underexposure at higher ISO settings, but only up to a point. For most cameras there is a point where it switches from increasing the analogue gain to digital amplification, i.e. multiplication. With modern CMOS sensors this switch happens around ISO 1600. At ISO 6400 and above were are within an ISO range where any increase in ISO is achieved by multiplication.

 

The reason for this switch is that depending on the contribution of the various sources of noise, analogue amplification is only beneficial for moderately high ISO levels; there is a point above which amplification ceases to offer any advantage over multiplication.

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Michael, can you explain CMOSIS' patented two part signal processing system that takes place at the level of the A/D converters at the bottom of each column on the sensor? They call it Digital Correlated Double Sampling. Guy Meynants of CMOSIS claims that it reduces noise very effectively. How would this patented design be different (better) than how other manufacturers design their sensors? Will this give the CMOSIS chip a noise advantages over other chips? He also claims it is used in the processing of 1080p video.

 

It sounds like CMOSIS used very good and fast A/D converters and is able to double sample information by using fast switching that these A/D converters would allow. This double switching and the fast A/D converters also improves video but, I'm not sure how.

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Double Correlated Sampling is a fairly standard technology used for reducing the fixed-pattern noise inherent in CMOS sensors. You sample the output of a sensor pixel once in a known state (i.e. when its capacitator is supposedly empty) and then again for the actual read-out at the end of the exposure. By subtracting the first reading from the second, any non-uniformity is eliminated. Digital Double Correlated Sampling would digitise each sample and subtract the digised values, or at least that’s my understanding.

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Michael,

 

Thanks for the comments. On page 66 of the latest LFI Meynants makes it sound like they are doing something different than other manufacturers.

 

By they way, I enjoyed your latest two articles in the last LFI about, "Colour Dynamics" and the article, "Mastering the M Monochrom." That one is going to take me a couple of reads through.

 

Rick

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Posted pictures remind me of zeiss lens foot print(good),,my newly purchased Sony RX1 is definitely a keeper.

 

Sami

 

I have read about it, the RX1. How do you get on with having, but one fixed lens? If you own an M9, how do the images compare? Thanks.

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